How To Get A Shake Shack-Style Smash On Your Copycat Cheeseburgers (It Takes 2 Identical Tools)

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While the best fast food copycat recipes can deliver delicious results, they don't always include the same ingredients and techniques that are actually used by your favorite chains. If your one true burger lover is Shake Shack's ShackBurgers, you're in luck, as we now know how cooks at the restaurant make its signature crispy smashed patties. According to Shake Shack: Recipes & Stories: A Cookbook, available on Amazon, you need two identical metal spatulas to properly smash the beef.

In this official cookbook, Shake Shack culinary director and co-author Mark Rosati shared that the chain's burger patties are made thusly: The beef is smashed down on the griddle with one sturdy spatula, then you press another spatula down on the first one to really make sure the patty has full contact with the hot surface. This creates the best crispy, flavorful, browned crust, the thing that makes smash burgers better than regular burgers.

The reason why just one spatula doesn't do the job is that the area by the handle is slightly raised, so the patty won't be smashed evenly all around. Some say the real trick to properly smashing burgers is to use a press or even a small pan, but Shake Shack's two-spatula method is fast, efficient, and doesn't require you to grab a whole other gadget. We have Shake Shack's classic cheeseburger recipe, straight from the cookbook, to further help you recreate these sensational burgers. And if you want authentic fries on the side, we can also help with that.

While you now know the secret to smashing a ShackBurger patty, you also have to use ground beef with the right mix of lean meat and fat. The best crispy smash burgers begin with a lean-to-fat ratio of 80/20, creating a flavorful and juicy yet not too rich patty. More tips for making the ultimate smash burger include cooking the meat on a super hot cast iron skillet or griddle, then using two patties per burger, the same way Shake Shack does.

Of course, it's not really a Shake Shack meal without the chain's crispy crinkle-cut fries. Shake Shack's executive chef and VP of Culinary Innovation John Karangis told us the secret to nailing Shake Shack's fries at home: You have to fry at high heat to get a crunchy outside and pillowy inside, then season heavily with salt. You'll also obviously need a crinkle cutter, an investment that's worth it for the perfect copycat result.

Do you always order your Shake Shack fries with a blanket of gooey cheese? What makes Shake Shack's cheese sauce so irresistible is a combination of two cheeses, cream, a blend of piquant spices, and white wine. The latter ingredient adds an essential complexity. With these insider tips, you're well on your way to mastering Shake Shack's most iconic items and enjoying them anytime.